Pet Food Is Becoming Part of Pet Healthcare. Can Vets Lead the Conversation?

For decades, feeding a dog or cat was largely treated as a routine part of pet ownership. Today, that is changing.

Indian pet parents are becoming increasingly conscious of what goes into their pets’ bowls. Questions that were once limited to “How much should I feed?” are increasingly becoming “Is this food right for my dog’s age?”, “Can nutrition help with my cat’s digestion?”, “What should I feed a senior dog?”, “Does my pet need a supplement?” or “Can diet support skin, coat and joint health?”

This shift creates an important opportunity for veterinarians.

The conversation around pet food should not become a battle between brands, pet parents and veterinary professionals. Instead, nutrition can become another important tool in the veterinarian’s clinical toolkit, particularly when food choices are connected to prevention, weight management, recovery and long-term wellbeing.

The bowl is becoming part of the health conversation

The idea that food influences health is hardly new. In human healthcare, nutrition is increasingly recognised as an important component of managing health and reducing disease risk.

The same principle applies to companion animals, although it needs to be approached carefully and scientifically.

Research cited by Petfood Industry found that 44% of dog owners and 49% of cat owners in a 2025 US survey considered nutrition and diet among their leading pet health and wellness concerns. The same research found that 80% of respondents regarded pet food as one of the most important pet health products.

India has its own additional dynamic. Pet parents are exposed to an enormous amount of nutrition information through Instagram, YouTube, WhatsApp groups, pet communities, influencers, breeders, retailers, e-commerce and quick-commerce platforms.

That creates both an opportunity and a problem.

More information is available than ever before. But information is not necessarily expertise.

Indian pet parents are asking more questions

India’s pet care market is moving beyond basic food, vaccinations and grooming.

Pet parents in metros and Tier-II cities are increasingly spending on premium food, treats, supplements, dental products, skin and coat products, probiotics, and other functional products.

The growth of e-commerce and quick commerce has made these products even easier to access. A pet parent can now search for “joint supplement for dogs” or “probiotic for dogs” and receive dozens of options without necessarily understanding which product is appropriate, whether it is required, how it should be dosed or whether the underlying problem actually needs nutritional intervention.

This is where veterinary guidance becomes particularly valuable.

A product may have an impressive ingredient list. That does not automatically make it appropriate for every animal.

The right question is not simply:

“What does this product contain?”

It is:

“Does this animal need it, and is there evidence that it will help?”

That distinction puts the veterinarian at the centre of the conversation.

Nutrition should complement veterinary medicine, not compete with it

There is an important distinction between pet food as healthcare support and the simplistic idea that “food can replace medicine.”

It cannot.

A therapeutic diet may be clinically useful in selected conditions. Appropriate nutrition can support weight management, digestive health, skin and coat health, urinary health, recovery and other aspects of wellbeing.

But nutrition does not eliminate the need for diagnosis, medication, surgery, or other veterinary interventions when indicated.

The veterinarian’s role is therefore not to prescribe food instead of medicine.

It is to determine when nutrition should form part of the overall management plan.

That is a much stronger proposition.

Where nutrition can support veterinary care

Depending on the individual animal and clinical assessment, nutrition can form part of discussions around:

• Weight management: controlling calorie intake and maintaining a healthy body condition.
• Growth: supporting appropriate development in puppies and kittens.
• Digestive health: selecting appropriate diets when gastrointestinal issues require nutritional management.
• Skin and coat health: considering nutrition as part of the broader management of selected dermatological concerns.
• Joint health: supporting mobility and healthy body weight, particularly in ageing or overweight animals.
• Senior pet care: adapting nutrition to changing requirements as pets age.
• Chronic disease management: using appropriate therapeutic nutrition alongside other veterinary interventions when indicated.
• Preventive care: helping pet parents establish appropriate feeding habits before problems develop.

The key is that nutrition should be individualised, not driven by a generic product recommendation.

Vets have something the internet does not: clinical context

One of the biggest problems with online pet nutrition advice is that it is often disconnected from the individual animal.

A social media post may recommend omega-3 for every dog.

A pet influencer may promote a particular probiotic.

A retailer may recommend a supplement because it is “natural.”

A brand may highlight an ingredient because it sounds scientifically impressive.

But the veterinarian sees the whole patient.

Age. Breed. Body condition. Activity level. Medical history. Current medications. Laboratory results. Existing disease. Allergies. Lifestyle. Feeding behaviour.

That context matters.

A Labrador with excess body weight does not simply need a “weight management product.” The veterinarian can assess body condition, caloric intake, exercise, treats, underlying factors and the owner’s ability to follow a feeding plan.

Similarly, a dog with recurrent gastrointestinal problems does not automatically need the latest probiotic on the shelf.

The first step is understanding why the problem exists.

This is precisely why veterinary involvement can make pet nutrition more effective and safer.

The opportunity is preventive care

One of the most interesting opportunities for Indian veterinary practices is preventive nutrition.

Veterinary consultations understandably focus on the immediate clinical problem. But nutrition can also become part of routine preventive conversations.

For example:

• Puppies: appropriate growth, feeding quantity, treats and healthy body condition.
• Adult dogs: calorie management, activity and maintenance nutrition.
• Senior pets: changing energy requirements, muscle maintenance and age-related health considerations.
• Cats: weight management, hydration and appropriate feeding practices.
• Overweight pets: calorie control, treat management and structured weight-loss plans.
• Pets with chronic conditions: nutrition as part of a broader clinical management strategy.

These conversations do not necessarily require a lengthy nutrition consultation.

Even a few well-directed questions during a routine visit can make a difference.

The challenge is not that vets don’t care about nutrition

This is an important point that deserves greater emphasis.

Veterinarians already carry enormous responsibility. They diagnose, treat, vaccinate, perform procedures, manage emergencies, communicate with pet parents and increasingly deal with complex chronic conditions.

Therefore, the nutrition opportunity should not be framed as another responsibility being placed on an already stretched profession.

Instead, the industry needs to make nutrition easier for veterinarians to incorporate into practice.

The original US research highlighted this challenge. Only around one in five surveyed veterinary professionals reported proactively offering nutrition advice during most client visits. The research also pointed to historical limitations in veterinary nutrition education.

For India, the lesson should not be that veterinarians are failing to discuss nutrition.

The more constructive question is:

What can the industry and veterinary education system do to make evidence-based nutrition advice easier to deliver?

What would actually help vets?

Veterinary professionals would benefit from:

• Evidence-based nutrition resources that are concise and clinically relevant.
• Continuing education focused on practical companion-animal nutrition.
• Body-condition and weight-management tools that can be used during consultations.
• Feeding calculators and practical guides that make recommendations easier to communicate.
• Transparent product information covering ingredients, nutrient profiles and feeding directions.
• Clinical evidence supporting specific nutritional claims.
• Clear differentiation between complete diets, therapeutic diets, treats and supplements.
• Patient-friendly educational material that veterinarians can share with pet parents.

The objective should be to give vets confidence and convenience, not another burden.

Pet food companies have a responsibility too

Pet food companies can play an important role, but there needs to be a clear line between education and promotion.

Veterinary professionals need access to credible information about ingredients, nutrient profiles, feeding quantities, digestibility, clinical evidence and appropriate use.

They should also be able to distinguish between a genuine nutritional benefit and a marketing claim.

This is particularly important in India, where the category includes multinational companies, established Indian manufacturers, emerging D2C brands, supplement companies and products sold through marketplaces.

As the category expands, transparency becomes increasingly important.

Companies that want veterinary trust should invest in evidence, testing, education and responsible communication rather than simply sending product samples or promotional literature.

From “recommended by vets” to “built with veterinary science”

Another opportunity exists for the industry.

Veterinarians should not merely become a marketing endorsement.

The better model is collaboration.

Pet food companies can work with veterinary colleges, clinicians, nutrition experts and researchers to develop evidence-based products and educational programmes.

Veterinarians can contribute clinical insight into the problems pet parents actually encounter.

Researchers can generate evidence.

Manufacturers can develop and test formulations.

Brands can communicate the science responsibly.

And pet parents can receive advice that is easier to understand and apply.

A stronger ecosystem would look like this:

• Veterinarians – Clinical insight and individual assessment
• Researchers – Evidence and validation
• Pet food companies – Formulation, testing and transparency
• Veterinary colleges – Education and scientific capacity
• Pet parents – Better-informed feeding decisions
• Pets – Better health and quality of life

That is a much healthier ecosystem than simply putting “vet recommended” on a pack.

The Indian opportunity is particularly significant

India is still developing its modern pet nutrition ecosystem.

That means there is an opportunity to establish good habits before misinformation becomes even more deeply entrenched.

Veterinary practices can become trusted nutrition touchpoints.

Pet food companies can become partners in veterinary education rather than just product sellers.

Veterinary colleges can give companion-animal nutrition greater visibility.

And pet parents can be encouraged to seek professional advice before changing diets or adding multiple supplements.

This is especially important because pet nutrition is becoming increasingly complicated.

There are more formulations, more ingredients, more functional claims and more supplements than ever before.

More choice does not necessarily mean better nutrition.

Better decision-making does.

The future may not be “food as medicine”

Perhaps the better phrase is “nutrition as part of veterinary care.”

It is more scientifically responsible and more relevant to everyday practice.

Food cannot replace the veterinarian.

But the veterinarian can help ensure food does what it should: providing appropriate nutrition, supporting health and, where clinically indicated, becoming part of a broader management strategy.

For India’s growing population of pet parents, that guidance could become one of the most valuable services a veterinary practice provides.

The opportunity, then, is not for vets to sell more pet food.

It is for vets to own the nutrition conversation.

And if the pet care industry supports them with credible science, practical tools and transparent information, the biggest beneficiary will not be the veterinarian, the brand or even the pet parent.

It will be the pet.